[Alpha Phi Omega] An Open Letter

“It’s Greek to me” we say when something unfamiliar comes our way. But we read in the newspapers and become aware of one thing, we think that, that’s all there, is to it and say, “I am knowledgeable about it; I read the newspapers.”

Such is the situation I am in. Newspapers, in their hope to get more readers, resort to sensationalism – a yellow journalism at its worst.

I am literally Greek, but not at all unfamiliar, rather, according to commercial historians – the newsmen – I am notorious – Hazing. Rumbles. Even drug addiction. What have you? They have alleged to me, not really without basis. But have they stopped to consider who really I am?

I am ALPHA PHI OMEGA. And I stand for LEADERSHIP, FRIENDSHIP and SERVICE. Dr. Frank Reed Horton, my father, conceived me as an organization of college men who have cooperated with youth movements, especially the Scouting movement. I was born on December 16, 1925 at Lafayette College , Easton , Pennsylvania , U.S.A. I am now getting 87 years old, having more or less a million Americans in a about 800 (738 listed chapters in Wikipedia) campuses in the United States alone believe in me.

In the Philippines , I am relatively young. Eagle scouts brought me to this home. On March 2, 1950, I was sort of born again at the Far Eastern University with Dr. Librado I. Ureta, as my Filipino father. You see, I am independent here from ALPHA PHI OMEGA of the UNITED STATES. And I now dwell in 1222 Chapters and many petitioning chapters in various colleges and universities, and 210 Alumni Associations throughout the country. (Figures’ Source: Wikipedia)

I am the fastest growing Greek-letter organization of the Phiulippines, please permit me to say. Filipinos who are affiliated with me include women. Aside from our in-campus chapters, we also have a lot of alumni/alumnae associations in abroad and in various parts of the Philippines .

I specialize in what I stand for – LEADERSHIP, FRIENDSHIP and SERVICE.

Service to me covers the humanity, divided into: student body and faculty, youth and community, nation, and fraternity brothers and sorority sisters.

But I admit that not all men are affected the same way by a given institution. That’s why my being implicated in notoriety is with basis.

A National Executive Board, composed of people who have real faith in me, runs my affairs. With the full support and cooperation of my local chapters and groups, my ideals are becoming a reality.

I am very dynamic organization. After all, I am ALPHA PHI OMEGA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE FRATERNITY AND SORORITY. APO for short. More than a million citizens in the world believe in me. It is only my hope that their belief is unaffected.

The Blogger: ME

"I hope that my achievements in life shall be these -- that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've been." ~ C. Hoppe